The gaming commission of South Africa's Eastern Cape province has issued a draft request for proposal for the sole casino license for the region known as Zone 2. The license is currently held by Hemingways Casino, but will expire around the end of September 2011, according to news source Dispatch Online.

The Eastern Cape Gambling and Betting Board issued the RFP at the end of the second week of December. Serious proposals should include hotel and restaurant elements, plus allow for the inclusion of so-called "empowerment" shareholders from the province.

A bidders' conference was planned for the board's offices on January 2. A final RFP will be issued soon. Proposals are tentatively due May 7, but that date is subject to revision after the final RFP is issued.

The board's CEO, Mabutho Zwane, said, "The province's existing casinos have, among other benefits, brought much-needed infrastructural development and created sustainable employment."

By GGB Staff

Staff writers for Global Gaming Business magazine. Las Vegas, Nevada.